Another Forest Lost

Posted by Mathew Klie-Cribb on Thursday, November 05, 2009

Indonesia lifted a year-long freeze on using peat land for palm oil plantations last February. Since then, peatland forests have been burned and torn up to make way for new plantations.

When these forests are logged, burned and drained the carbon-rich soil releases greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Indonesia has become the world’s third largest carbon emitter mainly due to the destruction of its forests.

Palm oil is used in food, soaps, washing powders, and as feedstock for biofuels.

Lifting of the regulations in February opened another two-million of the country’s 25-million hectares of peatland forest to deforestation. But the new rules will consider how deep the peat goes, as well as the land’s maturity and fertility, reports the Guardian.